TV’s Bourdain wild for S.A. barbecue

Gourmet guru Anthony Bourdain perked up at an ABC lunch here when I brought up his recent visit to the Alamo City.

Without provocation, he touted Two Bros. Barbecue Market – at 12656 West Ave. — as “wonderful. They have excellent barbecue. I’ve got to go back.”

He came mainly to discuss his new ABC cooking show, “The Taste,” which debuts with a two-hour premiere Jan. 22 and has four prominent chefs –Nigella Lawson, Ludo Lefebvre, Brian Malarkey and Bourdain — grading chef-testants on a single spoonful of food.

Will this prevent him from appearing on “Top Chef” and writing any more food storylines of “Treme”? It sounds like it.

Bourdain, who is much taller than he looks on TV – 6-foot-4 — said he won’t be on “Chef” at all this season; nor will he be on hand for the shortened fourth and last season of “Treme” on HBO.

But back to food. . .What are the three items any self-respecting chef should feature prominently in his or her kitchen? Salt, butter and scallions…in that order, he said.